Deer management program to begin

Monday

Dec 10, 2012 at 1:00 PM

Annual culling of the herd

Submitted

The City of Moberly is preparing to begin the whitetail deer herd regulation program.The program, which is slated to begin mid December, 2012 and continue through the end of January 2013, will involve the selective management of the deer population within the city limits by use of certified sharpshooters. The program, which was initiated in Moberly during 2008, was based on a similar program that has been successfully used in Boonville, MO. The Boonville and Moberly programs are both supported by the Missouri Department of Conservation, which was involved in the decision making process on this issue.The program will involve the elimination of adult female deer to control the population of the herd within the city limits in an effort to reduce the number of instances of property damage and collisions between vehicles and deer. As a result of the implementation of the program over the previous years, the numbers of car/deer traffic crashes that have been reported to the Moberly Police Department have been reduced by over 50%. Individuals living within the city limits of Moberly that are having or have had problems with deer causing property damage and desire to have deer removed from their property should contact Executive Assistant Shirley Olney at City Hall. After a request is received, representatives will come to the area to conduct a site inspection and determine if deer can be safely removed. The safety of all citizens will be the deciding factor in determining whether or not to conduct deer management practices on that individual's property.All of the deer that are harvested during the program will be donated to individuals that request their names be placed on a list to receive the donations.Anyone that wishes to receive a deer during the program should contact Executive Assistant Shirley Olney at City Hall, phone 269-8750 extension 2062. Callers should be prepared to give their name, address, home phone and/or cellular phone and how many deer they wish to receive so that they can be contacted on the date of the harvest to determine if they wish to receive the donation. Persons receiving these donations will also be responsible for all processing of the deer.Notification will be made to the public on the dates of operations to advise of the times and general locations within the city that the program will be taking place.